frenzy (thing)

These modes are usually used as rewards, after the player has achieved some sort of goal. A frenzy is almost always given after the biggest, toughest goal in a game is reached, as they can be good for a lot of points.

When a frenzy is reached, the player is put in multiball, and the machine usually has all the lights on the playfield (and often in the backglass) flashing, to both indicate the reward, and the try and confuse the player as much as possible - just because it's a reward doesn't mean they make it easy.

A frenzy may either last until a player loses all but the last ball, until a timer expires, or until a certain target is hit. After reaching the frenzy, the player usually has to start all over building back up toward the frenzy - and it is often harder the second time around, requiring the player to make more and/or tougher shots to get the same goals.